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whose acrid properties prevent the rot, and are not lessefficacious in destroying the worm. Buildings, in whichthese sorts of timber are used, last an amazing number ofyears. The cedar and juniper trees possess the samequalities as the two last named ; but as the cypress andpine yield a resin, so the cedar tree yields an oil calledcedrium, with which, whatsoever is rubbed, as books, forinstance, will be preserved from the worm as well as therot. The leaves of this tree resemble those of the cy-press, and its fibres are very straight. The statue of thegoddess, as also the ceiled roof in the temple of Diana atEphesus, are made of it; and it is used in many othercelebrated temples, on account of its great durability.These trees grow chiefly in the island of Crete, in Africa,and in some parts of Syria. The larch, which is onlyknown in the districts on the banks of the Po and theshores of the Adriatic, on account of the extreme bit-terness of its juices, is not subject to rot and attack ofthe worm, neither will it take fire or burn of itself, butcan only be consumed with other wood, as stone is burntfor lime in a furnace; nor even then does it emit flamenor yield charcoal, but, after a long time, gradually con-sumes away, from the circumstance of its containing verylittle fire and air. It is, on the contrary, full of waterand earth ; and being free from pores, by which the firecould penetrate, it repels its power, so that it is notquickly hurt thereby. Its weight is so great, that it willnot float in water, when transported to any place, and iseither conveyed in vessels, or floated on fir rafts. Thisproperty of the wood was discovered under the followingcircumstances. Julius Caesar, being with his army nearthe Alps, ordered the towns to supply him with provi-